ABC’s of UMD: Letter X

X was a tough one! We could have talked about X-ray machines in the Health Center, xylophones in The Clarice or even the escapade involving the residents of Dorchester Hall and famous stripper Blaze Starr.

Instead we chose “The X Files.” The return of the sci-fi favorite to television for a six-episode mini-series led to the revelation that UMD biology professor Anne Simon has had a major role in the show’s success since its first season in 1993.

Dr. Simon has served as the show’s science adviser, making sure that all the scientific content of each episode is as plausible as it can possibly be, given the constraints of the story line. But how did she get such an exciting job?

Washington Post reporter Terrence McCoy got the scoop from Dr. Simon over the summer. Turns out she has a personal connection with “X Files” writer and director Chris Carter through a friend and neighbor of her mother’s. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!! You can read McCoy’s entire story here.

This is the 24th post in our series on Terrapin Tales called ABC’s of UMD! Posts will come out twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, throughout the semester. If you want to learn more about campus history, check back weekly to see what we’ve picked to highlight, and you can also visit our encyclopedia University of Maryland A to Z: MAC to Millennium for more UMD facts.

Do you have other ABC’s about campus? Let us know in the comments below!